Actor Ned Beatty passed away in his sleep on Sunday. The Oscar nominee, known for turns in Network, Deliverance and much more, was 83.
TMZ was the first to break the news of Beatty’s passing. While a family member told them he died at his home, while surrounded by family, no other details about his death were provided, except for the fact that it was not related to Covid-19.
Born on July 6, 1937 in Louisville, Kentucky, Beatty kicked off his career as an actor around the age of 19, when he appeared on stage in the play Wilderness Road. He spent his first 10 years in the profession working in theaters across Virginia, Kentucky and Indiana.
In 1972, he made his feature film debut in John Boorman’s thriller Deliverance, opposite Jon Voight and Burt Reynolds, playing the role of Atlanta businessman Bobby Trippe. In 1976, he received his first and only Academy Award nomination, in the category of Best Supporting Actors for his turn in Network. In the Sidney Lumet classic, he portrayed Arthur Jensen, the TV network chairman of the board, who convinces Peter Finch’s Howard Beale that the global dehumanization fostered by corporations is not only unavoidable, but a good thing.
During his long screen career, Beatty also received Emmy nominations for Friendly Fire and Last Train Home, a Golden Globe nom for Hear My Song, and an MTV movie award for his portrayal of villain Lots-O’-Huggin-Bear in Toy Story 3. In 2004, he was awarded a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play, for his turn in an adaptation of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
Between 1972 and 2013, Beatty amassed more than 160 credits in film and TV. On the TV side, he also appeared in The Waltons, Gunsmoke, M*A*S*H, The Rockford Files, The Streets of San Francisco, Murder, She Wrote, and much more. His big screen credits include Nashville, All the President’s Men, Superman, Back to School, The Big Easy, Rudy, Shooter, Charlie Wilson’s War, Rango, Rampart and more. The last film’s he appeared in were David E. Talbert’s Baggage Claim and Thomas Beatty and Rebecca Fishman’s The Big Ask. His last TV appearance was in Scott Silveri’s Go On.
Beatty is survived by his wife, Sandra Johnson, and his eight children and grandchildren.